Notification control apparatus and method for controlling notification

ABSTRACT

An object of the present invention to provide a notification control apparatus and a method for controlling notification that achieve display to a notification target with improved accuracy. A notification control apparatus in the present invention includes the following: an attribute detecting unit that detects an attribute of an object located around a subject vehicle; an input recognizing unit that recognizes an input message entered by the driver of the subject vehicle; a message converting unit that converts, in accordance with the attribute detected by the attribute detecting unit, the input message recognized by the input recognizing unit into a notification message indicating the same meaning as the input message; and a road projection controller that controls projection of the notification message converted by the message converting unit onto at least part of a road located around the object.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a notification control apparatus thatcontrols notification of a driver's intention to a human being or ananimal located around a subject vehicle. The present invention alsorelates to a method for controlling such notification.

BACKGROUND ART

A conventionally disclosed technique is to estimate a driver's intentionfrom a driver's line of sight, the speed of a driver's vehicle, driver'sbraking, driver's steering, and other things, and to display theestimated intention onto a display located within the vehicle, thusinforming a pedestrian of the driver's intention (c.f., Patent Document1). Another disclosed technique is to project an image warning apedestrian that a vehicle is approaching, onto a road on which thepedestrian is located (c.f., Patent Document 2).

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-332297

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-7079

SUMMARY

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe sending a predetermined message to thenotification target, regardless of the attribute of the notificationtarget. Accordingly, for a message written in Chinese characters, achild who cannot read Chinese characters has difficulty in understandingthe driver's intention; or for a message written in small letters, anelderly person has difficulty in understanding the driver's intention.These conventional techniques unfortunately fail to display the driver'sintention to the notification target with high accuracy.

To solve this problem, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a notification control apparatus and a method for controllingnotification that achieve display to the notification target withimproved accuracy.

Means to Solve the Problem

A notification control apparatus in the present invention includes thefollowing: an attribute detecting unit that detects an attribute of anobject located around a subject vehicle; an input recognizing unit thatrecognizes an input message entered by the driver of the subjectvehicle; a message converting unit that converts, in accordance with theattribute detected by the attribute detecting unit, the input messagerecognized by the input recognizing unit into a notification messageindicating the same meaning as the input message; and a road projectioncontroller that controls projection of the notification messageconverted by the message converting unit onto at least part of a roadlocated around the object.

A method for controlling notification in the present invention includesthe following: detecting an attribute of an object located around asubject vehicle; recognizing an input message entered by the driver ofthe subject vehicle; converting, in accordance with the detectedattribute, the recognized input message into a notification messageindicating the same meaning as the input message; and controllingprojection of the converted notification message onto at least part of aroad located around the object.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, the notification control apparatusincludes the following: the attribute detecting unit that detects theattribute of the object located around the subject vehicle; the inputrecognizing unit that recognizes the input message entered by the driverof the subject vehicle; the message converting unit that converts, inaccordance with the attribute detected by the attribute detecting unit,the input message recognized by the input recognizing unit into thenotification message indicating the same meaning as the input message;and the road projection controller that controls projection of thenotification message converted by the message converting unit onto atleast part of the road located around the object. The notificationcontrol apparatus thus improves the accuracy of display to anotification target.

The method for controlling notification includes the following:detecting the attribute of the object located around the subjectvehicle; recognizing the input message entered by the driver of thesubject vehicle; converting, in accordance with the detected attribute,the recognized input message into the notification message indicatingthe same meaning as the input message; and controlling projection of theconverted notification message onto at least part of the road locatedaround the object. The method thus improves the accuracy of display to anotification target.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof the notification control apparatus according to the first embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the hardwareconfiguration of the notification control apparatus according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing one example of a process performed in thenotification control apparatus according to the first embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating one example of notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thefirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating one example of notification in asecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thesecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thesecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thesecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating one example of the notification in thesecond embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating one example of notification in a thirdembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus according to a fourth embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus according to a fifth embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing one example of a process performed in thenotification control apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating one example of notification in thefifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control system according to the embodiments of thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

The embodiments of the present invention will be described withreference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

<Configuration>

The following describes the configuration of a notification controlapparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.FIG. 1 shows minimal components necessary for constituting thenotification control apparatus according to the embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the notification control apparatus 1 includesan attribute detecting unit 2, an input recognizing unit 3, a messageconverting unit 4, and a road projection controller 5. The attributedetecting unit 2 detects the attribute of an object located around asubject vehicle. The input recognizing unit 3 recognizes an inputmessage entered by the driver of the subject vehicle. In accordance withthe attribute detected by the attribute detecting unit 2, the messageconverting unit 4 converts the input message recognized by the inputrecognizing unit 3 into a notification message indicating the samemeaning as the input message. The road projection controller 5 controlsprojection of the notification message converted by the messageconverting unit 4 onto at least part of a road located around theobject. Here, the input message and the notification message are each amessage that should be notified to a notification target, which is theobject.

The following describes the configuration of another notificationcontrol apparatus including the notification control apparatus 1illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the notification control apparatus 6 includesthe input recognizing unit 3, a travel state detecting unit 7, an objectposition detecting unit 8, a communication unit 9, a category detector10, a road condition detecting unit 11, a determining unit 12, a messageconcept generating unit 13, the message converting unit 4, and anotification controller 14. The category detector 10 includes theattribute detecting unit 2. The notification controller 14 includes theroad projection controller 5 and an audio-output controller 15.

The input recognizing unit 3 is connected to an input device 20. Thetravel state detecting unit 7 is connected to a vehicle control device16. The object position detecting unit 8 and the category detector 10are connected to a vehicle sensor 17. The communication unit 9 isconnected to a communication device 18. The road condition detectingunit 11 is connected to a map database 19. The road projectioncontroller 5 is connected to a road projector 21. The audio-outputcontroller 15 is connected to an audio-output device 22.

The input recognizing unit 3 recognizes an input message that is inputto the input device 20 by the driver. Examples of driver's input includethe driver's selection of information displayed on a screen, thedriver's audio input of his/her intention, and the driver's input ofhis/her intention through a gesture. Examples of the input device 20include a touch panel, a microphone, and a camera.

The travel state detecting unit 7 detects the travel state of thesubject vehicle on the basis of information acquired from the vehiclecontrol device 16. To be specific, the travel state detecting unit 7detects, as the travel state, the speed and direction of travel of thesubject vehicle and other things that are based on the driver'soperation of the accelerator, brake, steering wheel, and other things.The vehicle control device 16 includes a sensor that detects the travelstate of the subject vehicle based on the operation of the accelerator,brake, steering wheel, and other things. Examples of the sensor,detecting the travel state of the subject vehicle, include a vehiclespeed sensor and a steering angle sensor.

The object position detecting unit 8 detects the position of an objectrelative to the subject vehicle on the basis of information acquiredfrom the vehicle sensor 17. The vehicle sensor 17 is installed in thesubject vehicle and includes a camera, a millimeter-wave radar, anultrasonic sensor, and other things. Further, the vehicle sensor 17 mayinclude a global positioning system (GPS) for acquiring the currentposition of the subject vehicle.

The communication unit 9 communicates with outside via a communicationdevice 18 to acquire, for instance, information about road congestionand whether there is a vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle. Thecommunication unit 9 also communicates with a portable notificationterminal (not shown) to acquire various information items from theportable communication terminal.

The category detector 10 detects the category of the object locatedaround the subject vehicle, from an image taken by a camera, which isthe vehicle sensor 17. Here, examples of the category of the objectinclude a human being, an animal, an obstacle, and a building.

The attribute detecting unit 2 detects the attribute of the objectlocated around the subject vehicle, from an image taken by a camera,which is the vehicle sensor 17. The attribute detecting unit 2 alsodetects the attribute of the object located around the subject vehicle,on the basis of the information acquired by the communication unit 9through the external portable communication terminal. Here, examples ofthe attribute of the object include person's age, person's physicalfeatures, the orientation of the person's face, and the language used bythe person.

The road condition detecting unit 11 detects a road condition in thedirection of travel of the subject vehicle on the basis of theinformation acquired from the communication unit 9 or the map database19. Here, examples of the road condition include whether there is anintersection in the direction of travel of the subject vehicle, whetherthere is a crosswalk in the direction of travel of the subject vehicle,and the shape of a road along which the subject vehicle travels. Thecommunication unit 9 may acquire information about an intersection,information about a crosswalk, information about road shape, and otherinformation items, from outside via the communication device 18. The mapdatabase 19 consists of a storing device, such as a hard disk drive(HDD) or a semiconductor memory, and contains map information. The mapinformation includes information about an intersection, informationabout a crosswalk, information about road shape, and other informationitems.

The determining unit 12 determines the presence or absence of the objectto be notified, on the basis of the travel state detected by the travelstate detecting unit 7, the relative position of the object detected bythe object position detecting unit 8, and the road condition detected bythe road condition detecting unit 11.

The message concept generating unit 13 generates the concept of theinput message that is notified to the notification target, from theinput message recognized by the input recognizing unit 3. The messageconverting unit 4 converts the concept of the input message generated bythe message concept generating unit 13 into a notification messageindicating the same meaning as the input message. As described above,the input message takes the form of an input on a screen, an audioinput, or an input through a gesture. In some cases, the messageconverting unit 4 converts the concept of the input message into anotification message that takes a different form from the input message.In other cases, the message converting unit 4 converts the concept ofthe input message into a notification message that takes the same formas the input message. For an audio input or an input through a gesture,the input message takes a different form from the notification message.For an input on a screen, the input message takes the same form as thenotification message.

The road projection controller 5 controls the road projector 21 toproject the notification message converted by the message convertingunit 4 onto at least part of a road located around the object. The roadprojector 21 projects the notification message onto at least part of theroad located around the object under the control of the road projectioncontroller 5.

The audio-output controller 15 controls the audio-output device 22 tooutput, to the notification target by sound, the notification messageconverted by the message converting unit 4. The audio-output device 22outputs the notification message to the notification target by soundunder the control of the audio-output controller 15.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the hardwareconfiguration of the notification control apparatus 6. This hardwareconfiguration is applied to the notification control apparatus 1.

A processing circuit implements the functions of the input recognizingunit 3, the travel state detecting unit 7, the object position detectingunit 8, the communication unit 9, the category detector 10, theattribute detecting unit 2, the road condition detecting unit 11, thedetermining unit 12, the message concept generating unit 13, the messageconverting unit 4, the road projection controller 5, and theaudio-output controller 15 of the notification control apparatus 6. Thatis, the notification control apparatus 6 includes a processing circuitfor performing the following functions: recognizing an input message;detecting the travel state of a subject vehicle, detecting the positionof an object relative to the subject vehicle; communicating withoutside; detecting the category of the object located around the subjectvehicle; detecting the attribute of the object located around thesubject vehicle; detecting a road condition in the direction of travelof the subject vehicle; determining the presence or absence of theobject to be notified; generating the concept of the input message thatis notified to a notification target; converting the concept of theinput message into a notification message indicating the same meaning asthe input message; controlling the road projector 21 to project thenotification message onto at least part of a road located around theobject; and controlling the audio-output device 22 to output thenotification message to the notification target by sound. The processingcircuit is a processor 23 that executes a program stored in a memory 24.Examples of the processor 23 include a central processing unit, aprocessing unit, a calculating unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer,and a digital signal processor (DSP).

Software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware implementsthe functions of the input recognizing unit 3, the travel statedetecting unit 7, the object position detecting unit 8, thecommunication unit 9, the category detector 10, the attribute detectingunit 2, the road condition detecting unit 11, the determining unit 12,the message concept generating unit 13, the message converting unit 4,the road projection controller 5, and the audio-output controller 15 ofthe notification control apparatus 6. The software or firmware iswritten as a program and stored in the memory 24. The processing circuitreads and executes the program, stored in the memory 24, to implementthe function of each component. That is, the notification controlapparatus 6 includes the memory 24 for storing a program that executesthe following process steps: recognizing an input message; detecting thetravel state of a subject vehicle; detecting the position of an objectrelative to the subject vehicle; communicating with outside; detectingthe category of the object located around the subject vehicle; detectingthe attribute of the object located around the subject vehicle;detecting a road condition in the direction of travel of the subjectvehicle; determining the presence or absence of the object to benotified; generating the concept of the input message that is notifiedto a notification target; converting the concept of the input messageinto a notification message indicating the same meaning as the inputmessage; controlling the road projector 21 to project the notificationmessage onto at least part of a road located around the object; andcontrolling the audio-output device 22 to output the notificationmessage to the notification target by sound. This program is forcontrolling a computer to execute the procedure or method of the inputrecognizing unit 3, the travel state detecting unit 7, the objectposition detecting unit 8, the communication unit 9, the categorydetector 10, the attribute detecting unit 2, the road conditiondetecting unit 11, the determining unit 12, the message conceptgenerating unit 13, the message converting unit 4, the road projectioncontroller 5, and the audio-output controller 15. Here, the memory maybe a volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., a randomaccess memory or RAM for short, a read only memory or ROM for short, aflash memory, an erasable programmable read only memory or EPROM forshort, or an electrically erasable programmable read only memory orEEPROM for short), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, acompact disk, a mini disk, a DVD, or other things. Alternatively, thememory may be any kind of storing medium that will be used in thefuture.

<Operation>

The following describes a process performed in the notification controlapparatus 6.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing one example of the process performed inthe notification control apparatus 6.

In step S101, the travel state detecting unit 7 detects the travel stateof the subject vehicle on the basis of information acquired from thevehicle control device 16. To be specific, the travel state detectingunit 7 detects, as the travel state, the speed of the subject vehicle,the direction of travel of the subject vehicle, and other things.

In step S102, the object position detecting unit 8 detects the positionof the object relative to the subject vehicle on the basis ofinformation acquired from the vehicle sensor 17. To be specific, theobject position detecting unit 8 detects the position of the objectrelative to the subject vehicle on the basis of at least one of an imagetaken by a camera, the result of detection performed by amillimeter-wave radar, and the result of detection performed by anultrasonic sensor.

In step S103, the road condition detecting unit 11 detects roadconditions in the direction of travel of the subject vehicle. To bespecific, the road condition detecting unit 11 acquires, from the mapdatabase 19, information about an intersection in the direction oftravel of the subject vehicle, information about a crosswalk in thedirection of travel of the subject vehicle, information about roadshape, and other information items. Alternatively, the road conditiondetecting unit 11 acquires the information about the intersection, theinformation about the crosswalk, the information about the road shape,and other information items from outside via the communication unit 9and the communication device 18.

In step S104, the determining unit 12 determines whether there is anotification target to be notified, which is the object, on the basis ofthe travel state detected by the travel state detecting unit 7 in stepS101, the relative position of the object detected by the objectposition detecting unit 8 in step S102, and the road condition detectedby the road condition detecting unit 11 in step S103. If there is anotification target, the process proceeds to step S105. If there is nonotification target, the process returns to step S101.

For instance, the determining unit 12 determines that there is anotification target, when the object is near the intersection or thecrosswalk. The determining unit 12 determines that there is nonotification target, when the object that is relatively close to thesubject vehicle is away from the road along which the subject vehicle istraveling, or when the subject vehicle, just before reaching the object,makes a right or left turn to travel a different road that does notbring the subject vehicle to the object. Further, whether there is anotification target may be determined by the determining unit 12, at alocation more remote from the intersection when the subject vehicletravels at higher speed. That is, the location of a determination aboutwhether there is a notification target, may rely on the speed of thesubject vehicle.

In step S105, the category detector 10 detects the category of thenotification target from an image taken by a camera, which is thevehicle sensor 17. In addition, the attribute detecting unit 2 detectsthe attribute of the notification target from the image, taken by thecamera, which is the vehicle sensor 17.

In step S106, the determining unit 12 determines whether there is adriver's input of an intention including an input message. To bespecific, when the input recognizing unit 3 recognizes an input messagefrom the driver, the determining unit 12 determines that there is adriver's input of an intention. Here, the driver's input of theintention means the driver's input of his/her intention against thenotification target. For instance, the driver inputs his/her intentionby selecting any input message from a list of input messages displayedon the screen. Alternatively, the driver inputs his/her intentionthrough voice by saying an input message. Alternatively, the driverinputs his/her intention by making a gesture indicating an inputmessage. An example of such an input message for someone is a messagesaying “AFTER YOU”. If there is a driver's input of an intention, theprocess proceeds to step S107. If there is no driver's input of anintention, the process proceeds to step S110.

In step S107, the message concept generating unit 13 generates theconcept of the input message that is notified to the notificationtarget, from the input message recognized by the input recognizing unit3. For an input message saying “AFTER YOU” for instance, the messageconcept generating unit 13 generates the concept of the message saying“AFTER YOU” that is notified to the notification target.

In step S108, the message converting unit 4 converts the concept of theinput message generated by the message concept generating unit 13 into anotification message indicating the same meaning as the input message,on the basis of at least one of the category detected by the categorydetector 10 and the attribute detected by the attribute detecting unit2. For a child being the notification target for instance, the messageconverting unit 4 converts the concept of the input message into anotification message that is easy for the child to understand, such as asymbol indicating “AFTER YOU”.

In step S109, the road projection controller 5 controls the roadprojector 21 to project the notification message converted by themessage converting unit 4 onto at least part of a road located aroundthe object. The road projector 21 projects the notification message ontoat least part of the road located around the object under the control ofthe road projection controller 5. In addition, the audio-outputcontroller 15 controls the audio-output device 22 to output thenotification message converted by message converting unit 4, to thenotification target by sound. The audio-output device 22 outputs thenotification message to the notification target by sound under thecontrol of the audio-output controller 15.

In step S110, the road projection controller 5 controls the roadprojector 21 to project a message saying that the subject vehicle ispassing onto at least part of the road located around the object. Theroad projector 21 projects the message, saying that the subject vehicleis passing, onto at least part of the road located around the objectunder the control of the road projection controller 5. In addition, theaudio-output controller 15 controls the audio-output device 22 to outputa message saying that the subject vehicle is passing, to thenotification target by sound. The audio-output device 22 outputs themessage, saying that the subject vehicle is passing, to the notificationtarget by sound under the control of the audio-output controller 15. Theprocess returns to step S101 after step S110. It is noted that step S110may include one of the projection of the message saying that the subjectvehicle is passing onto the road and the audio output of the messagesaying that the subject vehicle is passing to the notification target.Alternatively, step S110 may include both. Here, an example of themessage saying that the subject vehicle is passing, may be a messagesaying “VEHICLE PASSING”; for an audio output, the message may be outputby honking the horn. It is also noted that the process may exclude theprojection of the message saying that the subject vehicle is passingonto the road and exclude the audio output of the message saying thatthe subject vehicle is passing to the notification target.

In FIG. 4, step S105 may be executed before step S104. In this case, thedetermining unit 12 determines, in step S104, whether there is anotification target, on the basis of the attribute of the object aswell. When a pedestrian is near the intersection or near the crosswalkfor instance, the determining unit 12 determines that there is anotification target. The determining unit 12 determines that there is nonotification target, when the pedestrian who is relatively close to thesubject vehicle is away from a road along which the subject vehicle istraveling, or when the subject vehicle, just before reaching thepedestrian, makes a right or left turn to travel a different road thatthat does not bring the subject vehicle to the object.

The notification message, although automatically notified in step S109,may be notified by the driver at any timing. The determining unit 12determines notification timing just before step S109. For instance, thedriver may notify a notification message when seeing a notificationtarget and uttering a sound indicating some kind of symbol. In thiscase, the input device 20 includes a camera that detects the sight lineof the driver. Alternatively, the driver may notify a notificationmessage when pointing at a notification target and uttering a soundindicating some kind of symbol.

Alternatively, the driver may notify the notification message whenselecting a notification target that is detected by the vehicle sensor17 and is displayed on the screen of a display (not shown). When thedisplay has a touch panel for instance, the driver selects, with atouch, a notification target displayed on the screen of the display. Atthis time, the driver may notify a notification message when selectingthe notification target and uttering a sound indicating some kind ofsymbol. It is noted that upon driver's selection of a notificationtarget, the display may finish displaying the notification target.

In step S107, the message concept generating unit 13 may generate theconcept of the input message when the driver makes a particular gesture,and utters any sound. The input recognizing unit 3 accordinglyrecognizes a gesture and sound indicating the input message.

In step S104, the driver may select one of a plurality of notificationtargets by making a particular gesture. The input recognizing unit 3accordingly recognizes the gesture for selecting one of the notificationtargets. In addition, the message concept generating unit 13 maygenerate the concept of the input message, when the driver makes agesture and utters any sound for selecting one of the notificationtargets. The road projection controller 5 accordingly controlsprojection of the notification message onto at least part of the roadlocated around the notification target as identified through thegesture.

In step 109, the road projection controller 5 may control projection ofthe notification message in animation form onto the road. For a requestasking a notification target to cross the road for instance, the roadprojection controller 5 may control projection of an animated messageonto the road, just like the arrow in FIG. 6 sequentially displayedtoward the direction of indication. The details will be described lateron.

Alternatively, the road projection controller 5 may control projectionof the notification message in blinking form onto the road.

EXAMPLES OF NOTIFICATION

The following describes first to third examples of notification to thenotification target in step S109 in FIG. 4.

First Example

The first example describes an instance where the category detector 10detects a category indicating human being and where the attributedetecting unit 2 detects an attribute indicating the age of a humanbeing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating how to notify a child 26 who is locatedin the direction of travel of a subject vehicle 25. As illustrated inFIG. 5, in which the notification target is the child 26, the messageconverting unit 4 converts the concept of the input message generated bythe message concept generating unit 13 into a notification message 27saying “AFTER YOU” in the form of a symbol. Under the control of theroad projection controller 5, the road projector 21 projects thenotification message 27 onto a road that is located around the child 26and along which the subject vehicle 25 is traveling. The child 26accordingly understands that he/she may cross the road.

For an adult being the notification target, the message converting unit4 may convert the concept of the input message generated by the messageconcept generating unit 13 into the notification message 27 shown inFIG. 6. For an elderly person being the notification target, the messageconverting unit 4 may convert the concept of the input message generatedby the message concept generating unit 13 into the notification message27 shown in FIG. 7.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, in which the notification target is the child26, the message converting unit 4 may convert the concept of the inputmessage generated by the message concept generating unit 13 into thenotification message 27 saying “AFTER YOU” in the form of a symbol andinto a notification message 28 saying “AFTER YOU” in the form of avoice. Under the control of the road projection controller 5, the roadprojector 21 accordingly projects the notification message 27 onto theroad that is located around the child 26 and along which the subjectvehicle 25 is traveling. In addition, the audio-output device 22 outputsthe notification message 28 to the child 26 by sound under the controlof the audio-output controller 15.

Although FIG. 8 illustrates that the notification message 28 is notifiedto the child 26 by sound, the notification message 27 and thenotification message 28 may be notified to an adult and an elderlyperson.

Second Example

The second example describes an instance where the category detector 10detects a category indicating human being, and the attribute detectingunit 2 detects an attribute indicating physical feature of a humanbeing.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating how to notify an expectant mother 29who is located in the direction of travel of the subject vehicle 25. Asillustrated in FIG. 9, in which the notification target is the expectantmother 29, the message converting unit 4 converts the concept of theinput message generated by the message concept generating unit 13 intothe notification message 27 saying “AFTER YOU, TAKE YOUR TIME” in theform of characters and a symbol. Under the control of the roadprojection controller 5, the road projector 21 projects the notificationmessage 27 onto a road that is located around the expectant mother 29and along which the subject vehicle 25 is traveling. The expectantmother 29 accordingly understands that she may cross the road. A videoimage taken by a camera, which is the vehicle sensor 17, may be used todetect the expectant mother 29. Alternatively, a portable communicationterminal carried with the expectant mother 29 may be used to acquireinformation that she is an expectant mother via the communication unit 9and the communication device 18.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, in which the notification target is theexpectant mother 29, the message converting unit 4 may convert theconcept of the input message generated by the message concept generatingunit 13 into the notification message 27 saying “AFTER YOU” in the formof characters and a symbol and into the audio notification message 28saying “PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME”.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate, but not limited to, that the notificationtarget is the expectant mother 29. The notification target may be awounded person or a person in a wheel chair.

Third Example

The third example describes an instance where the category detector 10detects a category indicating animal.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating how to notify an animal 30 located inthe direction of travel of the subject vehicle 25. As illustrated inFIG. 11, in which the notification target is the animal 30, the messageconverting unit 4 converts the concept of the input message generated bythe message concept generating unit 13 into the notification message 27giving a warning to prevent the animal 30 from entry to a road. Underthe control of the road projection controller 5, the road projector 21projects the notification message 27 onto the road that is locatedaround the animal 30 and along which the subject vehicle 25 istraveling. Along with the notification message 27, the audio-outputdevice 22 may output a sound warning the animal 30. The animal 30 can bethus warned.

For a moose being the animal 30, the notification message 27 may be asilhouette of a wolf. The notification message 27 may blink. The cryingsound of a wolf may be emitted along with the notification message 27.The audio-output device 22 may be a directional speaker in this case.

Different notifications may be made in accordance with the attribute ofthe animal 30. When the attribute indicates the size of the animal 30for instance, the smaller the animal 30 is, the higher the basicfrequency of a sound from the audio-output device 22 may be. Further,the audio-output device 22 may output an ultrasonic wave to the animal30 when having such a function. Still further, when the animal 30 is aherbivore, the audio-output device 22 may output a sound of its naturalenemy, such as a bark of a carnivore.

As described above, the notification control apparatus according to thefirst embodiment notifies the notification target of the notificationmessage in accordance with at least the attribute of the notificationtarget. The notification control apparatus thus makes a notificationsuitable for the notification target. That is, the notification controlapparatus improves the accuracy of display to the notification target.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment of the present invention describes an instance wherethe category detector 10 detects a category indicating human being andwhere the attribute detecting unit 2 detects an attribute indicatingface orientation. A notification control apparatus according to thesecond embodiment, which is similar to the notification controlapparatus 6 in FIG. 2, will not be elaborated upon. The followingdescription equates the notification control apparatus according to thesecond embodiment with the notification control apparatus 6 illustratedin FIG. 2.

A process performed in the notification control apparatus 6 according tothe second embodiment is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 4.Characteristic process steps in the second embodiment will be focused onwith reference to FIG. 4.

In step S105, the attribute detecting unit 2 detects the orientation ofthe face of a person who is a notification target, from an image takenby a camera, which is the vehicle sensor 17.

In step S108, the message converting unit 4 converts the concept of aninput message generated by the message concept generating unit 13 into anotification message on the basis of the orientation of the face of thenotification target detected by the attribute detecting unit 2. To bespecific, the message converting unit 4 changes the orientation of thenotification message in accordance with the orientation of the face ofthe notification target so that the notification target can easilyunderstand what the message is saying.

The message converting unit 4 also converts the concept of the inputmessage into a notification message in accordance with the orientationof the face of the notification target. When the subject vehicle isapproaching from the right of the notification target for instance, themessage converting unit 4 converts the concept of the input message intoa notification message “WATCH OUT FOR RIGHT!” indicating that thesubject vehicle is approaching from the right. In this case, the driverof the subject vehicle has already input an input message that cautionsthe notification target.

In step S109, the road projection controller 5 controls the roadprojector 21 to project the notification message converted by themessage converting unit 4 onto a location toward which the face of thenotification target is oriented. Under the control of the roadprojection controller 5, the road projector 21 projects the notificationmessage onto the location toward which the face of the notificationtarget is oriented.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating how to notify an adult 31 who islocated at an intersection in the direction of travel of the subjectvehicle 25. As illustrated in FIG. 12, when the adult 31 orients his/herface toward a road along which the subject vehicle 25 travels, the roadprojector 21 projects the notification message 27 saying “WATCH OUT FORRIGHT!” onto the road. When the adult 31 orients his/her face toward thesubject vehicle 25, the road projector 21 projects the notificationmessage 27 saying “WATCH OUT FOR FRONT!” onto the road. When the adult31 orients his/her face opposite the road along which the subjectvehicle 25 travels, the road projector 21 projects the notificationmessage 27 saying “WATCH OUT FOR LEFT!” onto the road. When the adult 31orients his/her face toward the direction of travel of the subjectvehicle, the road projector 21 projects the notification message 27saying “WATCH OUT FOR BACK!” onto the road.

Although FIG. 12 shows, for description, four kinds of notificationmessage 27 projected around the adult 31, who is the notificationtarget, the notification message 27 needs to be projected at only alocation toward which the adult 31 orients his/her face. As a matter ofcourse, the notification messages 27 may be projected around the adult31.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating how to notify the adult 31 who islocated in a road without an intersection. The notification in FIG. 12is applied to the example in FIG. 13.

When determining that there is a notification target in step S104, thedetermining unit 12 may estimate a direction in which the notificationtarget will move, on the basis of a change in the orientation of theface of the notification target detected by the attribute detecting unit2, a change in the position of the notification target relative to thesubject vehicle detected by the object position detecting unit 8, andthe road condition detected by the road condition detecting unit 11. Fora pedestrian waking toward a road along which the subject vehicle istraveling, for instance, the determining unit 12 estimates that thepedestrian will cross the road.

To be specific, FIG. 14 shows that the message converting unit 4converts the concept of the input message generated by the messageconcept generating unit 13 into the notification message 27 in the formof a line drawing. The message converting unit 4 performs thisconversion when the determining unit 12 determines that the adult 31,who is the notification target, is near the road along which the subjectvehicle 25 is traveling. That is, the message converting unit 4 performsthis conversion when the determining unit 12 determines that there is anotification target within a range that is predetermined from a travelroute of the subject vehicle 25. The input message in this case is amessage saying that the subject vehicle 25 is approaching near the adult31. The road projection controller 5 then controls projection of thenotification message 27 in the form of a line drawing between thesubject vehicle 25 and the adult 31. The road projector 21 accordinglyprojects the notification message 27 in the form of a line drawingbetween the subject vehicle 25 and the adult 31.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the message converting unit 4 converts theconcept of the input message generated by the message concept generatingunit 13 into the notification message 27 formed of a message and asymbol that say “AFTER YOU”, and of a line drawing. The messageconverting unit 4 performs this conversion when the determining unit 12estimates that the adult 31 will move toward the road along which thesubject vehicle 25 is traveling. The road projection controller 5 thencontrols projection of the message and the symbol saying “AFTER YOU” infront of the adult 31, and projection of the line drawing between thesubject vehicle 25 and the adult 31. The road projector 21 accordinglyprojects the message and the symbol saying “AFTER YOU” in front of theadult 31, and projects the line drawing between the subject vehicle 25and the adult 31.

When the determining unit 12 determines that the adult 31, who is thenotification target, is near the road along which the subject vehicle 25is traveling, the message converting unit 4 may convert the inputmessage generated by the message concept generating unit 13 into thenotification message 27 in the form of a line drawing. As illustrated inFIG. 16 for instance, the road projector 21 accordingly projects amessage saying “WATCH OUT FOR BACK!” in front of the adult 31, andprojects a line drawing between the subject vehicle 25 and the adult 31.

As described above, the notification control apparatus according to thesecond embodiment notifies the notification message in accordance withthe orientation of the face of the notification target. The notificationcontrol apparatus thus allows the driver to convey his/her intention tothe notification target with more certainty. That is, the notificationcontrol apparatus according to the second embodiment achieves display tothe notification target with higher accuracy than the notificationcontrol apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Third Embodiment

A third embodiment of the present invention describes an instance wherethe category detector 10 detects a category indicating human being andwhere the attribute detecting unit 2 detects an attribute indicatinglanguage information. A notification control apparatus according to thethird embodiment, which is similar to the notification control apparatus6 in FIG. 2, will not be elaborated upon. The following descriptionequates the notification control apparatus according to the thirdembodiment with the notification control apparatus 6 illustrated in FIG.2.

A process performed in the notification control apparatus 6 according tothe third embodiment is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 4.Characteristic process steps in the third embodiment will be focused onwith reference to FIG. 4.

In step S105, the communication unit 9 acquires language informationthat is set in a portable communication terminal carried with a personwho is a notification target, from the portable communication terminalvia the communication device 18. The attribute detecting unit 2 detectslanguage information acquired by the communication unit 9, as theattribute of the notification target.

In step S108, the message converting unit 4 converts the concept of aninput message generated by the message concept generating unit 13 into anotification message on the basis of the language information detectedby the attribute detecting unit 2. In step S109, the road projectioncontroller 5 controls the road projector 21 to project the notificationmessage converted by the message converting unit 4 onto at least part ofa road located around an object. The road projector 21 projects thenotification message onto at least part of the road located around theobject under the control of the road projection controller 5.

FIG. 17 illustrates an instance where the adult 31 is located in thedirection of travel of the subject vehicle 25. The attribute detectingunit 2 acquires the language information from a portable communicationterminal 32 carried with the adult 31. For the language informationbeing German, the message converting unit 4 then converts the concept ofthe input message generated by the message concept generating unit 13into a German notification message. Under the control of the roadprojection controller 5, the road projector 21 projects the notificationmessage 27 onto a road that is located around the notification targetand along which the subject vehicle 25 is traveling. At this time, theaudio-output device 22 may output the German notification message bysound.

As described above, the notification control apparatus according to thethird embodiment notifies the notification message in accordance withthe language information used by the notification target. Thenotification control apparatus thus allows the driver to convey his/herintention with more certainty. That is, the notification controlapparatus according to the third embodiment achieves display to thenotification target with higher accuracy than the notification controlapparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fourth Embodiment

<Configuration>

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus 33 according to a fourth embodimentof the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the notification control apparatus 33includes an utterance summarizing unit 34. The other components, whichare similar to those in the first embodiment, will not be elaboratedupon.

The utterance summarizing unit 34 summarizes a driver's utterance viathe input device 20 to form an input message. Summarizing the utteranceherein means eliminating unnecessary phrases, but leaving the meaning ofthe driver's utterance as it is.

A processing circuit implements the function of the utterancesummarizing unit 34 of the notification control apparatus 33. That is,the notification control apparatus 33 includes a processing circuit forsummarizing a driver's utterance to form an input message. Theprocessing circuit is the processor 23 that executes a program stored inthe memory 24 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The other functions of thenotification control apparatus 33 are similar to those of thenotification control apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware implementsthe function of the utterance summarizing unit 34 of the notificationcontrol apparatus 33. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the software or firmwareis written as a program and stored in the memory 24. The processingcircuit reads and executes the program, stored in the memory 24, toimplement the function of the utterance summarizing unit 34. That is,the notification control apparatus 33 includes the memory 24 for storinga program that executes a process step of summarizing a driver'sutterance to form an input message. This program is for controlling acomputer to execute the procedure or method of the utterance summarizingunit 34. The other functions of the notification control apparatus 33are similar to those of the notification control apparatus according tothe first embodiment.

<Operation>

A process performed in the notification control apparatus 33 accordingto the fourth embodiment is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 4.A characteristic process step in the fourth embodiment will be focusedon with reference to FIG. 4.

In step S106, when the input recognizing unit 3 recognizes a driver'sutterance including an input message, the determining unit 12 determinesthat there is a driver's input of an intention. At this time, theutterance summarizing unit 34 summarizes the driver's utterance to formthe input message. The subsequent process steps are similar to thosedescribed in the first embodiment.

As described above, the notification control apparatus according to thefourth embodiment summarizes the driver's utterance to form the inputmessage. The notification control apparatus thus allows the driver toconvey his/her intention with more certainty. That is, the notificationcontrol apparatus according to the fourth embodiment achieves display tothe notification target with higher accuracy than the notificationcontrol apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Fifth Embodiment

<Configuration>

FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the configurationof a notification control apparatus 35 according to a fifth embodimentof the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 19, the notification control apparatus 35includes a navigation unit 36. The other components, which are similarto those in the first embodiment, will not be elaborated upon.

The navigation unit 36 calculates a route from the current position of asubject vehicle to a destination. The destination can be set by thedriver or the other people via the input device 20.

A processing circuit implements the function of the navigation unit 36of the notification control apparatus 35. That is, the notificationcontrol apparatus 35 includes a processing circuit for calculating aroute from the current position of a subject vehicle to a destination.The processing circuit is the processor 23 that executes a programstored in the memory 24 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The other functions ofthe notification control apparatus 33 are similar to those of thenotification control apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware implementsthe function of the navigation unit 36 of the notification controlapparatus 35. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the software or firmware iswritten as a program and stored in the memory 24. The processing circuitreads and executes the program, stored in the memory 24, to implementthe function of the navigation unit 36. That is, the notificationcontrol apparatus 35 includes the memory 24 for storing a program thatexecutes a process step of calculating a route from the current positionof the subject vehicle to a destination. This program is for controllinga computer to execute the procedure of method of the navigation unit 36.The other functions of the notification control apparatus 35 are similarto those of the notification control apparatus according to the firstembodiment.

<Operation>

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing one example of a process performed in thenotification control apparatus 35. Steps S201 to S203 and steps S206 toS211 in FIG. 20, which respectively correspond to steps S101 to S103 andsteps S105 to S110 in FIG. 4, will not be elaborated upon. Steps S204and 5205 will be described.

In step S204, the navigation unit 36 calculates a route from the currentposition of the subject vehicle to a destination. To be specific, thenavigation unit 36 calculates a route from the current position of thesubject vehicle that is acquired from a GPS installed in the vehiclesensor 17, to a destination that is set by the driver or the otherpeople via the input device 20.

In step S205, the determining unit 12 determines whether there is anotification target on the basis of the travel state detected by thetravel state detecting unit 7 in step

S201, the relative position of the object detected by the objectposition detecting unit 8 in step S202, the road condition detected bythe road condition detecting unit 11 in step S203, and the routecalculated by the navigation unit 36 in step S204. If there is anotification target, the process proceeds to step S206. If there is nonotification target, the process returns to step S201.

FIG. 21 illustrates an instance where the subject vehicle 25 is going tomake a right turn at an intersection in accordance with the routecalculated by the navigation unit 36. The road projection controller 5makes a notification suitable for a pedestrian 37, who is located nearthe route.

As described above, the notification control apparatus according to thefifth embodiment reflects the route calculated by the navigation unit36. The notification control apparatus thus allows the driver to conveyhis/her intention with more certainty. That is, the notification controlapparatus according to the fifth embodiment achieves display to thenotification target with higher accuracy than the notification controlapparatus according to the first embodiment.

The aforementioned notification control apparatuses each can be includednot only in a vehicle-mounted navigation device (i.e., a car navigationdevice), but also in a navigation device formed as a system inappropriate combination with a vehicle-mountable portable navigationdevice (PND), an external server, and other things. Alternatively, thedisplay control apparatuses each can be included in a device other thansuch a navigation device. In this case, the functions or components ofeach notification control apparatus are distributed, for placement, torespective functions that constitute the above system.

To be specific, the functions of the notification control apparatus canbe placed on a server, for instance. Take FIG. 22 for example. A user(e.g., driver) interface includes the notification controller 38, thevehicle control device 16, the vehicle sensor 17, the communicationdevice 18, the map database 19, the input device 20, the road projector21, and the audio-output device 22. The notification controller 38includes the input recognizing unit 3, the travel state detecting unit7, the object position detecting unit 8, the communication unit 9, thecategory detector 10, the attribute detecting unit 2, the road conditiondetecting unit 11, the notification controller 14, the road projectioncontroller 5, and the audio-output controller 15. In addition, a server39 includes the message converting unit 4, the determining unit 12, andthe message concept generating unit 13. Such a configuration enables anotification system to be established. The same holds true for thenotification control apparatus 33 in FIG. 18, and the notificationcontrol apparatus 35 in FIG. 19.

The above configuration, in which the functions of each notificationcontrol apparatus are distributed, for placement, to the respectivefunctions constituting the system, still achieves effects similar tothose described in the foregoing embodiments.

Software that executes the process described in each of the foregoingembodiment may be incorporated to a server for instance. The server,when executing this software, implements notification control. A methodfor controlling notification includes the following: detecting anattribute of an object located around a subject vehicle; recognizing aninput message entered by the driver of the subject vehicle; converting,in accordance with the detected attribute, the recognized input messageinto a notification message indicating the same meaning as the inputmessage; and controlling projection of the converted notificationmessage onto at least part of a road located around the object.

In this way, incorporating software that executes the process describedin each of the foregoing embodiments to a server for operation achieveseffects similar to those described in the foregoing embodiments.

It is noted that the individual embodiments of the present invention canbe freely combined, or can be modified and omitted as appropriate,within the scope of the invention.

While the invention has been shown and described in detail, theforegoing description is in all aspects illustrative and notrestrictive. It is therefore understood that numerous modifications andvariations can be devised without departing from the scope of theinvention.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1 notification control apparatus, 2 attribute detecting unit, 3 inputrecognizing unit, 4 message converting unit, 5 road projectioncontroller, 6 notification control apparatus, 7 travel state detectingunit, 8 object position detecting unit, 9 communication unit, 10category detector, 11 road condition detecting unit, 12 determiningunit, 13 message concept generating unit, 14 notification controller, 15audio-output controller, 16 vehicle control device, 17 vehicle sensor,18 communication device, 19 map database, 20 input device, 21 roadprojector, 22 audio-output device, 23 processor, 24 memory, 25 memory,26 child, 27, 28 notification message, 29 expectant mother 30 animal, 31adult, 32 portable communication terminal, 33 notification controlapparatus, 34 utterance summarizing unit, 35 notification controlapparatus, 36 navigation unit, 37 pedestrian, 38 notificationcontroller, 39 server.

1. A notification control apparatus comprising: a processor to execute aprogram; and a memory to store the program which, when executed by theprocessor, performs processes of, detecting an attribute of an objectlocated around a subject vehicle; recognizing an input message enteredby a driver of the subject vehicle; converting, in accordance with thedetected attribute, the recognized input message into a notificationmessage indicating the same meaning as the input message; andcontrolling projection of the converted notification message onto atleast part of a road located around the object.
 2. The notificationcontrol apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program, whenexecuted by the processor, performs a process of generating a concept ofthe input message that is notified to the object, from the recognizedinput message, and the converting process comprises converting thegenerated concept of the input message.
 3. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program, when executed bythe processor, performs a process of controlling audio output of thenotification message to the object.
 4. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 2, wherein the program, when executed bythe processor, performs processes of, detecting a travel state of thesubject vehicle, detecting a relative position of the object relative tothe subject vehicle, detecting a road condition in a direction of travelof the subject vehicle, and determining presence or absence of theobject to be notified, on the basis of the detected travel state, thedetected relative position of the object, and the detected roadcondition, and upon determining the presence of the object to benotified, the converting process comprises converting the concept of theinput message into the notification message.
 5. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attribute of the objectincludes a person's age, a person's physical feature, an orientation ofperson's face, a language used by a person, and a kind of animal.
 6. Thenotification control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processof detecting an attribute comprises detecting an orientation of a faceof the object as the attribute, and upon determining the presence of theobject to be notified, the determining process comprises estimating adirection in which the object will move, on the basis of a change in thedetected orientation of the face of the object, a change in the detectedrelative position of the object, and the detected road condition.
 7. Thenotification control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein upondetermining that the object is located within a predetermined range thatis predetermined based on a travel route of the subject vehicle, theconverting process comprises converting the concept of the input messageinto the notification message in a form of a line drawing, and upondetermining that the object is located within the predetermined range,the process of controlling projection comprises controlling projectionof the line drawing between the subject vehicle and the object.
 8. Thenotification control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein uponestimating that the object will move from the predetermined range towardthe travel route of the subject vehicle, the process of controllingprojection comprises controlling projection of the notification messageonto a location toward which the face of the object is oriented.
 9. Thenotification control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein therecognizing process comprises recognizing a sound indicating the inputmessage, and the generating process comprises the concept of the inputmessage from the recognized sound.
 10. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recognizing processcomprises recognizing a gesture indicating the input message, and uponrecognizing the gesture and the sound, the generating process comprisesgenerating the concept of the input message.
 11. The notificationcontrol apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recognizing processcomprises recognizing a gesture for selecting one of a plurality of theobjects located around the subject vehicle.
 12. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recognizing processcomprises recognizing a sound indicating the input message, uponrecognizing the gesture and the sound, the generating process comprisesgenerating the concept of the input message, and the process ofcontrolling projection comprises controlling projection of thenotification message onto at least part of a road located around theobject identified through the gesture.
 13. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program, when executed bythe processor, further performs a process of communicating with aportable communication terminal carried with a person who is the objectlocated around the subject vehicle, the communicating process comprisesacquiring, from the portable communication terminal, languageinformation that is set in the portable communication terminal, and theprocess of detecting an attribute comprises detecting, as the attribute,the acquired language information.
 14. The notification controlapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process of controllingprojection comprises controlling projection of the notification messagein animation form or of the notification message in blinking form ontothe road.
 15. The notification control apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the recognizing process comprises a process of summarizing anutterance of the driver, and the summarizing process comprisessummarizing the utterance to form the input message.
 16. Thenotification control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein therecognizing process comprises recognizing a sight line of the driver anda sound of the driver, and upon recognizing that the driver has uttereda word while looking at the object, the process of controllingprojection comprises controlling projection of the notification message.17. The notification control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein therecognizing process comprises recognizing a gesture of the driver and asound of the driver, and upon recognizing that the driver has uttered aword while pointing at the object, the process of controlling projectioncomprises controlling projection of the notification message.
 18. Thenotification control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theprogram, when executed by the processor, further performs a process ofdisplaying at least one of a plurality of the objects located around thesubject vehicle, and when the driver selects the displayed object, theprocess of controlling projection comprises controlling projection ofthe notification message onto at least part of the road located aroundthe selected object.
 19. The notification control apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein the program, when executed by the processor, furtherperforms a process of calculating a route from a current position of thesubject vehicle to a destination, and the determining process comprisesdetermining the presence or absence of the object to be notified, on thebasis of the detected travel state, the detected relative position ofthe object, the detected road condition, and the calculated route.
 20. Amethod for controlling notification, comprising: detecting an attributeof an object located around a subject vehicle; recognizing an inputmessage entered by a driver of the subject vehicle; converting, inaccordance with the detected attribute, the recognized input messageinto a notification message indicating the same meaning as the inputmessage; and controlling projection of the converted notificationmessage onto at least part of a road located around the object.